It's no secret that college athletics is hard work, which may explain why 33% of college athletes deal with mental health conditions. With that in mind, one way athletes can stay on top of their mental health is by making sure they have a healthy balance between fun and work in college athletics. Here's how you can do just that.
Remember Your Roots
Many college athletes forget why we play the sport we do. It's because we love the game we play, and the sport is just that: a game. That is a huge step toward finding the balance between fun and work in college athletics and I believe that step alone would go a long way in improving mental health among college athletes. That is not to say that you shouldn't work hard, push yourself to your limits, or let the results of the game impact your emotions. All those actions show that you care and show that you love the game you are playing. However, when it gets to the point where having a bad day at practice or a game loss affects your mental health, you may need to re-evaluate the role your sport plays in your sense of self and overall mental health.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits
Put it All Into Perspective
This past year, I read a book written by Mark Yakich (an alum of my university who also played soccer for the school) and his ending chapter had one of those quotes that can change how you view much of your life: “Football is everything and football is nothing, the trick is to hold both notions in the mind simultaneously without feeling either one is more right than the other.” This quote holds what I believe is another huge step in finding the balance between fun and work in college athletics that is so important. Something that you love, such as soccer or the sport that you play, can mean everything to you. It can mean so much that you spend so much of your time working for it and so much time thinking about it. However, while it means so much, it can mean so little. It can mean that you are playing just to play or just playing to remember what it was like when you were young.
Related: Work/Life Balance as a College Athlete
So remember to play so that you can enjoy the moments, for your love of the sport, and for the fun of the game. Being a college athlete may feel like a job sometimes, but at the end of the day, you get to play that you love. Once you find a good balance between work and fun, be sure to keep it.
Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]
* Originally published on August 2, 2022, by Scott Abramson